Turtle Canyon Comedy, an independent comedy production company based at Pinewood Studios, was officially formed in 2012 by stand-up comedian Stuart Laws. They are celebrating their first full year and are proud to announce a new online sketch starring Jessie Cave, Sarah Daykin and Lou Sanders:
The world of comedy is an interesting and uncertain place in 2013. YouTube has enabled people with no budget and no major backing to become bona fide stars and to be able to step into the world of TV and film with an enormous amount of control and say over what they want. The previous model of TV being the big break is not necessarily always the case now. At the same time TV and film are trying to work out how best to embrace the internet and utilise a new generation of comedians and writers and performers who can create their own content.
Turtle Canyon Comedy was established with the express desire to provide comedians that we love with a legitimate way of getting their vision made, by a production company with 10 years of experience and a comedy mindset and understanding of their own. The process would be collaborative and about getting stuff made, not just talking about it. In 2012 we have had short films play at film festivals around the world, completed a sketch show pilot, a radio pilot and racked up almost half a million views on our YouTube site.
Turtle Canyon Comedy’s online presence is dubbed “The Hatchlings”; they’re our little babies that we’ve released into the world. Here are some highlights from the past year
Alan’s Story (starring Mark Stephenson & Harriet Kemsley)
Don’t Go Into The Long Grass! (Jurassic Park spoof)
The Guest (starring Pat Cahill, John Kearns and Matthew Highton)
The Postman/Il Postino (starring Tom Toal and Laurence Tuck)
Overactive Solutions (Sketch show pilot with Nick Helm, Isabel Fay and sketch duo Toby)
The next year will see five more short films, dozens of online sketches, more collaborations, bigger projects and more viral success. Most of all it will see truly independent comedy being made and distributed worldwide, to a steadily growing and enthusiastic audience.